1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an alpine ski boot constituted by a shell whose shell base is overlaid by an upper having a rear portion and a front portion, at least one of such portions being journalled with respect to the other and with respect to the shell base by means of a transverse axis. The shell is padded internally by a removable flexible liner inserted between the foot and the lower part of the leg of the skier and the shell. The liner includes a body enveloping the foot and is overlaid, on the one hand, by a rear wedge associated to the rear portion of the upper of the boot, and, on the other hand, by a front wedge associated to the front portion. The front and rear wedges cooperate with each other to ensure closure of an introduction opening of the liner by a tightening action of at least one part of the upper on the other.
2. Discussion of Background and Relevant Information
A liner of the aforementioned type is described in European Patent Application No. 427 321. This liner is adapted to a front entry boot and comprises a front wedge constituted by a removable tongue adapted to block an introduction opening of the foot, demarcated by lateral wings of a rear wedge integral with a portion of the foot of the liner.
In order to limit the clearance of the tongue and to ensure its positioning on the front upper portion of the foot, in its connection zone with the foot of the liner, an elastic band brushes this lower end zone of the tongue. The elastic band is connected by its ends on the lower portions of the lateral wings deriving from the rear wedge.
However, such a liner does not enable a major disadvantage to be avoided, which lies in the fact that during a maximum spacing of the tongue with respect to the rear wedge of the liner, while removing or putting on the boot, generally fortuitous abutting of the lateral edges of the tongue occurs with the lateral edges of the wings of the rear wedge, thus causing a blockage during opening of such portions and, consequently, an intervention by the user.
According to another type of incident encountered after a maximum opening of the liner, one of the edges of the tongue, or even both, do not readopt their initial positioning, within the wings of the rear wedge, for example, and cause overthicknesses which can be detrimental to the comfort of the foot and also necessitate an intervention when this occurs.
To overcome this, U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,351 describes a boot whose internal liner comprises a rear wedge having lateral wings largely covering during closure the edges of the tongue which are associated to it.
However, no means is provided in this boot to force the tongue to readopt its initial position after maximum opening during putting on and removal of the boot.
Swiss Patent No. 679 362 also shows lateral covering means of two journalled portions of a boot, but not only are the above-cited disadvantages not avoided, but at issue here are shell portions and not a liner.